Andra style Stuffed Brinjals (Gutti vankaya)

Gutti vankaya is a delicious South Indian recipe consisting of eggplants, stuffed with a flavorful paste. If you would like to try an ethnic dish, packed with flavor, try Gutti Vankaya for dinner tonight !

The cuisines of Andhra are the spiciest in all of India. Generous use of Chili and Tamarind make the dishes tangy and hot. The majority of a diverse variety of dishes are vegetable- or lentil-based.

Stuffed Brinjals

6 small Brinjals – slit into 4 (now wholly) and placed in bowl of salted water

Roast and grind to fine powder

4 tbsp peanuts

2 tbsp coconut desiccated or fresh coconut

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1 small cinnamon stick

2 cloves, 2 cardamom

4-6 red chillies or

1 tbsp red chilly powder (don’t roast this)

1 tbsp tamrind paste (don’t roast)

Salt

For Gravy

2 medium sized onions – finely sliced

1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste

2 green chillies slit

1 tsp tamrind paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp jeera

1 tsp mustard

1 sprig curry leaves

Coriander leaves chopped fine for garnish

Salt as required

2 tbsp oil

Method

Cut the brinjals (now fully) make four slits and soak in salted water. Wash brinjals nicely.

Roast ingredients under “roast and grind” – till you get a nice aroma. Cool and grind to fine powder. If adding chilly powder do not roast this, just add whilst grinding.   Add salt and tamarind paste or lemon to the mixture. 

Remove the brinjals from water and stuff with this stuffing.

Heat oil, add curry leaves, jeera and mustard, add onions and fry till brown, add green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and fry.  Once the rawness disappears, add the tomatoes, salt and cover and cook till tomatoes are mushy. Add turmeric and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the stuffed brinjals and let is fry 2-3 minutes (don’t burn it).  Pour 1 cup water or just enough to make a gravy.  Cover and cook on medium heat.

Once they are fully cooked and tender add coriander leaves, adjust salt.

Serve hot with chapatti.

Butter Chicken - Step by Step

INDO CHINESE CHILLY CHICKEN

Chilli chicken is a popular Indo-Chinese dish of chicken. In India, this may include a variety of dry chicken preparations. Though mainly boneless chicken is used in this dish, some people also recommend to use boned chicken too – which I have used in my recipe.

The below is a simple easy way of making Chilly chicken, yummy in taste, my children just love this dish.  This recipe is given to me by my mom who is an amazing cook.

Ingredients:

800 gms Chicken cut into small pcs

For Marinade

2 tbsp Soya Sauce

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp cooking wine

1 tbsp Garlic Paste

1tbsp Ginger Paste

1 tsp Black Pepper Powder

For frying

5-6 Chopped Green Chilies

1 tbsp finely chopped ginger/garlic

3-4 spring onions chopped (keep the green separate)

1 capsicum cut long

1 carrot cut round

Oil as required

Additional

1 tsp soya sauce

1 tsp green chilly sauce

Spring onion greens for garnish

Optional for Gravy

1 tbsp Corn Flour/Corn Starch

1 cube chicken stock (Magie)

1/2  tsp sugar

1/2 tsp pepper powder

Method (Dry)

1.   Cut the chicken into medium/small pieces .

2.   Marinade chicken in ingredients under marinade for about 10-15 minutes.

3.  Heat oil, fry the capsicum slightly (do not overcook) and keep aside.  In the same pan fry the carrots, not fully and keep aside.

4.   Heat more oil in the pan, add spring onion(white) green chillies, ginger, garlic and add the marinated chicken pieces to this, add some more soya sauce and green chilly sauce. Cook chicken till done.  Once chicken is done add the fried capsicum/carrots – mix well. Garnish with spring onion greens.  Toss to mix.

Serve hot with fried rice.

Method (Gravy)

From above, step 1 to 3 same.  For step 4 follow the below.

Heat more oil in the pan, add spring onion(white) green chillies, ginger, garlic, soya sauce and chilly sauce. Make 2 cups chicken stock, add to the pan, add some more pepper+ ½ tsp sugar.  Let it boil.  Add cornflour (mix 1 tbsp cornflour with 3 tbsp water to form a smooth batter and add to the boiling stock mixture.  Now add the marinated chicken pieces and cook till chicken is done.  Lastly add the fried capsicum and carrots to this and the spring onion greens.  Mix well and serve with fried rice.

PAV BHAJI

Pav bhaji  is a Maharashtrian fast food spicy dish that originated in Mumbai cuisine. It is native to Mumbai and has now become popular in most metropolitan areas in India.  Pav originates from the Portuguese Pao, which means bread. Bhaji in Marathi means vegetable dish. Pav bhaji consists of bhaji (a thick potato-based curry) garnished with coriander, chopped onion, and a dash of lemon and lightly toasted pav. The origin of this dish is traced to textile mill workers in Mumbai[3] in the 1850s.[4] The mill workers used to have lunch breaks too short for a full meal, and a light lunch was preferred to a heavy one, as the employees had to return to strenuous physical labor after lunch. A vendor created this dish using items or parts of other dishes available on the menu. Roti or rice was replaced with pav and the curries that usually go with Indian bread or rice were amalgamated into just one spicy concoction, the 'bhaji'. 

PAV BHAJI

Ingredients :

3 cups Cauliflower florets

2 med. Potatoes (boiled & mashed)

1 cup Green Peas (fresh or frozen)

2 med. Capsicum (diced)

3 cups. Tomatoes (chopped)

2 cups Onions (chopped)

2 tsps. Garlic paste

1 tsp. Ginger paste

4 tbsps. Pav Bhaji Masala Pwd (I use Everest)

1 tsp. Red Chilli Pwd.

1 tsp. Garam Masala Pwd.

½ tsp. Chaat Masala pwd.

¼ tsp. Turmeric Pwd.

1 tbsp.Vegetable Oil

4 tbsp. Butter

Salt to taste

¼ cup fresh Coriander leaves (chopped)

2 Limes (cut in quarters)

Method :

Wash & boil potatoes in their jackets till soft.

Peel the potatoes & mash them so that there are no lumps.

In a pan sauté onions with vegetable oil on med. heat till soft.

Add ginger garlic paste, chopped tomatoes & sauté.

Add capsicum, cauliflower ¼ cup green peas, sauté & cook till tender. 

Cool the mix & blend in the blender till smooth.

Then heat 2 tbsps. butter in a pan on med. heat.

Pour the mix from the blender & sauté.

To this add chilli pwd., turmeric pwd., pav bhaji masala, garam masala pwd., chaat masala pwd., salt to taste & stir well. 

Then add mashed potato; keep sautéing & mashing it together till it is a smooth mixture adding water as required.(Be alert as the mixture can spurt while it boils).

Now add the remaining peas & some chopped coriander, 2 tbsps. of butter & sauté further for another 20 mins. till all the flavours are well blended.

Serve hot topped with a dollop of butter & garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

 Also serve some chopped or sliced onions & wedges of lime.

 Enjoy with buttered & toasted pav or masala pav.

Mixed Vegetable Cheese Bake

Mixed Veg Bake - Don't be discouraged by the simple title. This recipe is great to prepare ahead of time, cooks alone with little input, is fabulous hot either alone, as a main or as a side dish,  and is equally good the next day in a wrap for work or school. The colours in this recipe really make it!

Mixed Vegetable Cheese Bake

Ingredients :

         ½ cup Carrots

         ½ cup French Beans

         ½ cup fresh Peas (or frozen peas)

         ½ cup Cauliflower

For the White Sauce :

         2 tbsps. Refined Flour (Maida)

         2 cups Milk

         1 tbsp. Butter

         A pinch of Nutmeg pwd. (Jaiphal)

         A pinch of Cardamom pwd. (Green Cardamom)

         1/3 tsp. Sugar

         ½ tsp. dried Oregano

         ¼ tsp. Pepper pwd.

         3 tbsps. grated Processed Cheddar Cheese

         Salt to taste

For the Garnishing:

         4 tbsps. dry Bread Crumbs

         ½ Capsicum (sliced)

         ½ Onion (sliced & flaked)

         ¼ cup grated Processed Cheddar Cheese (or 2 slices cheese)

         A tsp. each of Butter/Olive Oil

Method :

Wash & peel the carrots & quarter them vertically in uniform pieces. 

Wash & thread the french beans. Wash & separate cauliflower into florets. 

Blanch the vegetables in order of time taken for cooking with sugar i.e. carrots, french beans, cauliflower, peas. 

Drain the vegetables & reserve ¼ cup of the liquid. 

Refresh the blanched vegetables in cold water & drain. 

Chop the carrots & french beans finely & the cauliflower in tiny florets. Keep aside.

Preparation of the White Sauce :

Melt butter in a pan on low heat. 

Add the flour & mix with the butter. 

Stir carefully till the rawness of the flour disappears but do not allow the flour to change colour. 

Take the pan off the heat & keep stirring while gradually adding the milk to it. 

Make sure it is smooth & not lumpy. 

Again place the pan on the stove & cook on low heat till the sauce thickens. 

Take it off the heat & stir after adding pepper, 3 tbsps. grated cheese, dried oregano, nutmeg & cardamom pwd., salt to taste & the reserved veg stock making sure that the sauce is not too thin 

or watery. 

The sauce should be of pouring consistency. Keep aside.

Assembling the Bake :

Coat an oven proof glass dish with butter or a little olive oil. 

Place all mixed vegetables evenly in the baking dish & pour the prepared sauce evenly on the vegetables. Sprinkle bread crumbs, ¼ cup cheese, sliced onions & capsicum. 

Sprinkle some pepper pwd. & dot with butter or sprinkle olive oil. 

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C till it bubbles & the top turns a light golden brown about 20 mins.. 

Serve with toasted garlic bread or enjoy it plain with ketchup. 

Paneer Mutter

Paneer Mutter
Ingredients
1 cup paneer cubes (cottage cheese)
1/2 cup green peas
10 Cashew nuts
1/3 cup fresh cream
1 cup chopped onions
1/3 cup tomato puree
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2-3 chopped green chillies
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2-3 cloves
1 Bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

1 star Anise

1/2 tsp garam masala

2-3 tbsp oil

1/4 cup water

Salt
Coriander leaves for Garnish

PreparationIn a blender combine cashews and tomato puree to make a thick silky puree. Keep aside. In a deep bottomed pan heat oil on medium heat, add cumin seeds. While they splutter add cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. When they start spreading the aroma into your kitchen, add ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and fry. Then add onions and fry till translucent. Add Paneer cubes and peas to fry for 2 minutes. Now, add the cashew-tomato paste, turmeric, salt and garam masala and fold in together all the ingredients.

You can see the oil separating out of the gravy. Add 1/4 cup water as the cashew paste intends to thicken. simmer the heat and add heavy cream. If you are calorie conscious you can also add 1/3 cup of plain whole milk. Leave the gravy on medium low heat for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Paneer mutter goes great with naan or Jeera pulao.